Will wearable tech create a two-tier healthcare system? | Alphr

As part of Apple’s latest product update, the capabilities of its Watch have been expanded to offer more health tracking, including the potentially life-saving ability to detect heart irregularities. It’s the latest chapter in a narrative where connected devices and real-time analytics combine to offer us a brave new world of personalised healthcare.

Gartner predicts that there will be 20 billion connected devices by 2020. ABI Research forecasts 485 million wearable devices will be in use by 2018. Already 60% of Americans track their weight, diet and exercise. The “quantified self”, where we all track intimate aspects of our lives, is a movement that’s clearly gaining momentum.

But these tools come with a hefty price tag. The latest Series 3 of the Apple Watch, for example, costs close to £400. Affordability could easily create a section of the population unable to access new preventative technologies.

Mike Rawson

Mike Rawson has recently re-awoken a long-standing interest in robots and our automated future.
He lives in London with a single android - a temperamental vacuum cleaner - but is looking forward to getting more cyborgs soon.